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Coat and breeches
Unknown - Enlarge image
Coat and breeches
- Place of origin:
UK (made)
- Date:
ca. 1680 (made)
- Artist/Maker:
Unknown (production)
- Materials and Techniques:
Worsted, trimmed with black silk and silver-gilt thread braid, faced and lined with blue wool, hand-sewn
- Museum number:
191&A-1900
- Gallery location:
In Storage
In Britain in the 1660s a new style of formal day wear was introduced for men. It replaced the doublet and petticoat breeches. The new fashion was started by Charles II, under the influence of Louis XIV of France. Men now wore a long, fairly tight-fitting coat reaching to the knee. The breeches accompanying the new coat were much more closely fitting than previous ones. Men’s dress continued to be elaborately decorated. This coat has silver braid applied horizontally down both fronts, with cuff facings of blue wool. The ensemble is shown with an equally lavishly embroidered cape. By the 18th century the cape had become a purely functional garment, used only for protective wear outdoors.
